Actuating mechanism for washing-machines.



No. 897,074. PATENTED AUG. 25, 1908-.

. J. Bums. AGTUATING MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.16, 1906.

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No. 897,074. I PATENTED AUG. 25, 1908 J EDENS. AGTUATING MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 16, 1906.

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rini'riin PATENT Ol l ilfilli JOHN EDENS, OF DAVENPORT, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO H. F. BRAMMER MANUFAGTURII IG 90.,

Oh DAVENPORT, IOWA, A

CORPORATION OF IOWA.

AC'IEUATING MECHANISM FOR WASHING-MAGE'XINES.

Specification of Letters Patent;

Patented Aug. $5, 190%.

Application filed october 16, isos. cerium. 339,212.

gear operating mechanisms for washing ma--' chines of that type of washing machines wherein the dashcr-shaft is given a rotary reciprocatory motion through. the means of a rack-and-gear mechanism in which the rack is reciprocated through the mechanism of a swinging lever or equivalent device. Said invention relates more specifically to gear mechanism of this character which operate in connection with a balance-wheel that acts upon the rack-arid-'gear mechanism to reverse the same at the ilnlltS of TGGI'QIO-Git'tlOll of the rack-liar without brin ing shocks or jars on the mechanism and to generally facilitate' the action of the mechanism.

Among the objects of my invention is to produce an. improved gear of this type which is simple in its construction, which is economical to build, which maybe readily applied to the machine, and which iscoinoaot and does not impair the symmetry of the machine as a whole.

In the drawings":

Figure l is s side elevationof a washing machine provided with my improved gear .inechanisin.

h Fig; 2 top plan view thereon Fig. 3 is s verticsl sec-- tion of the upper part'of the tub, showing in.

section the swinging coverfand a portion of the operating mechanism. Figs. i, 5 and d are details illustrating the .detachehle connection or the swinging handle with the rack-bar of the racloand-gear mechanism. Fig. 7 is a perspective view oi the rack-bar constituting part of the gear mechanism for operating the dasherehaft.

ln the drawings, A desi nates the tub-oi a nil 3. m, weld an, ex

has bearing in a sleeve 0 extending downwardly through the opening in the cover from a plate C that is fixed to the u per face of the cover, as shown in Fig. 3.v he rackand-gear mechanism for imparting rotary reciprocatory movement to said shaft comprises a inion D that is fixed to the shaft above said plate O and an endwise reciprocating, horizontally disposed, rack-bar E having teeth on one of its sides to engage the pinion D, said rack-bar operating in one direction of its movement to rotate the gear D and dashershait in one direction and in the opposite direction of its movement to rotate said arts in the o posits direction. The said rac -bar extends eyond said cover for operative connection with a. vertically swinging lever F which imparts to the rackliar its rectilinearto-andiro movement, said raok oar en 'a in a uide o risin from the.

e g is g 1% late O as herein shown, by which the raclrcar is held lateral y engaged Withits pinion :D. As herein shown, the outwardly extending end E of the raclehar is off-set so as to hiring the part thereof which is connected with the swingin lever in the vertical plsne with the exis or the pinion D. The said swinging lever F is pivoted at its lower end to va iateraliy extending bracket A attached to one side of the tub, as shown in Figs. 1 and Conveniently, the lever is made in two parts, the. upper part comprising a removshle, usually a wooden, handle it, and the lower part, usually made of metal, is provided with a socket f to receive the upper removable handle. Associated with said and e mechanism for operating the dasher shait is a horizontally disposed, bah anceevheel G, which, as herein shown, is loosely mounted to rotate on the upper -c3X- tended end of the dasher-shaft; the said elicit eiftending upwardly through the hub sold wheel. 'The hub of said balance- .el rests on an upwardly facing bearing of the dsshsr-shaftpinion l). The said balance-wheel rotctes independently of the slasher-shaft and is held l rom rising by means or a cotter-pin h extendingthroogh a tronsverse opening the shaft. inasmuch as the pinion D is sup orted on the coveren pports t he wheel, wi h the dos hat; is suspended ir Y ogh'se d parts and the pin halance wheel is rotated through suitable rackconnections with. the 0 crating lever F or rack-bar, in the nature 0 a multiplying gear, whereby said balance-wheel is given a rapid rotation and serves not only to facilitate the reversal of movement of the parts, but also to materially aid the to and-fro rotation of the dasher-shaft.

One of the features of my invention consists' in supporting the horizontally disposed balance-wheel and the operative connections thereof with the rack-bar on the lid or cover of the tub, whereby they may be compactly disposed on or above said cover within the circumferential limits thereof, thereby avoiding the marring of the symmetry of the machine. as a whole. The operative connections between said balance-wheel and the swinging lever are made as follows:

The hub G of the balance-wheel is formed at its lower end to provide an integral, gear pinion G which meshes with a large gear wheel H arranged horizontally beneath the balance-wheel. Said gear-wheel H is rotatively mounted on a stud c that rises from a lateral extension C of the plate C, the said wheel being held from rising from the stud by a cotter-pin 0 extending through a transverse opening in the stud. I designates a horizontal pitman that is connected at one end by means of a stud 0 to said gear-wheel and at its other end to the rack-barby a stud e rising from the offset end of the extension E of the rack-bar.

Through the medium of said pitman swinging motion of the lever transmits rotary motion to the gear-wheel H and thence to the balance-wheel withamultiplying efiect. axes of the gear-wheel H and dasher-shaft are disposed in the vertical plane of the conneetion of the pitman with the rack-bar and also in the vertical plane of oscillation or swing of the operating lever F, the outer end of the rack-bar being for this purpose offset towards the lever.

The connection between the swinging lever F and the rack-bar E is such as to permit the lever to be detached from the rack-bar so as to allow the cover of the tub and the gear mechanism supported thereon to be swung upwardly to 0 )en the tub. Said connection is made as follows: The offset end of the rack-bar is formed with two shoulders e 6 separated longitudinally of said ban-"and between which is formed a recess to receive the swinging lever F. The lever F is likewise provided with a recessj' located 0 p osite the recess in the rack-bar extension. gaid lever is provided in the bottom of its recess with an integral stud f that enters a socket e in the bottom of the recess of the offset end of the rackbar, as most clearly shown in 4. designates a vertically swinging latch that is hinged at one end to the outer end of the offset extension of the rack-bar by means of a hinged pin 6 and is adapted, when swung the It will be observed that the into its closedposition, as shown inFigs. 1, 2 and 6, to frictionally engage at its free end a lateral face e (Fig. 7) of the lug 6 thereby holding the latch in place and locking the rack-bar to the lever.

operating lever with the rack-bar is constituted by the studf and its companion socket e of the rack-bar, the latch serving to hold the parts properly together. When it is desired to release the swinging lever from the rack bar, the latch E is swung upwardly and rearwardly about its hinge to the osition indicated in dotted lines in Fi 6, w ereby the rack-bar may be laterally released from the lever. 4

One of the distinctive features of my invention resides in supporting the balanced gear operating mechanism upon the cover of themachine and so arranging the parts that the, said mechanism is com aetly assembled and does not extend an o jectionable distance above the cover. This result is brought about by v the horizontal arrangement of the balance-wheel, the multiplying ears and the rack-and-pinion mechanism.

his arrangement has the further advantage that a simple lever device may be em loyed for operating the gear mechanism, said lever device being hinged to the tub by a simple connection and connected at one point with arts of the balanced gear mechanism. A further distinctive feature of my im rovement resides in the arrangement where y the pitman connection for rotating the balancewheel through the multiplying gears described is made with the rack-bar at or near its point of connection with the rack-bar. This construction reduces to a minimum the tendency of lost motionr'between the lever and the rack-bar and said link. A further advantage of the construction herein de-. scribed is the arrangement of the parts whereby the axes of rotation of the dashershaft and gear-wheel H are disposed in the vertical plane of oscillation of the actuating lever F. This arrangement minimizes the torsional stress placed on the lever, which arises from driving two parts from practically the same point of connection with the lever. The extension of the dasher-shaft above the pinion D to constitute a bearing for the balance wheel is preferred;inasmuch as this arrangement centralize's the said wheel. however, be otherwise disposed. These and other features of advantage of my invention may be obtained by means of mechanism varying somewhat in detail from'that herein shown, and I do not wish to be limited to The bearing for said wheel may,

thefeatures of construction shown, except as 1 the combination with said shaft, of a pinion fixed to the shaft, a horizontal endwise reciprocatory rack-bar intermeshing with said inion, a pivotally supported operating lever raving pivotal connectionwith said rack-- bar, a gear-wheel mounted on a vertical axis, a pitman for operating said gear-wheel-from the rack-bar,a balance wheel rotating on a vertical axis and a fixed pinion thereon which meshes with said gear-wheel.

2. As a means for imparting rotary reci rocatory' motion to an 11 right dasher-sha t, the combination with saidshaft, of a pinion fixed to said shaft, a horizontal endwlse reciprocatory rack-bar intermeshing with said pinion, a pivotally supported operating lever having pivotal connection with. said rackbar, a horizontally arranged balance wheel mounted and turning freely on said dashershaft above said pinion, a pinion fixed to said balance wheel concentrically with and below the level of the latter, a gear wheel mounted on a vertical axis, and intermeshing with the inion on the balance wheel, and a pitman for operating said gear wheel from the rackbar.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention 1 a'tiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this 12th day of October A. D. 1906.

JOHN EDENS.

Wi tncsses p H. G. BRAUNLICH, A. I. FRASER. M 

